A Second Chance
by LittleMissTree
Summary: Even the simplest of things can change a person's life, and Jemma Simmons knew this. But what she didn't know was how quickly this could happen, or when. It all starts with a visit from S.H.I.E.L.D., and soon enough Jemma finds herself walking not only into the heart of danger, but into the heart of someone else.
1. A New Beginning

**Sooo I've loved Fitzsimmons ever since episode one (they are so cute) and have wanted to develop my own story about how they met and came to be friends, and maybe even a little bit more than that. I also wanted to give them a deeper, different back-story that will be important later on, which is why this first chapter is just setting the scene etc. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

They had been driving for hours. The sun had long since set, taking the luscious green landscape with it, and leaving nothing but a dark canvas. In the distance, there were lights scattered across the blackness. It was the first sign of civilisation that Jemma had seen for several hours, save for the few cars that passed by now and then. She didn't understand why her parents had to drag her all this way just for a family trip. Even though she loved spending time with them, Jemma was missing out on some important time to study for her upcoming exams. To her, education was almost as important as family, though she would never admit this to anyone, especially her parents. It wasn't that she didn't love her parents, she loved them very much, but she had never felt understood by them. They just couldn't seem to get why she spent most of her time learning, researching, and reading books. Of course, they told her that they would support her in any decision she made, just as she hoped that they would, but Jemma couldn't help but feel different. Some would say that that was just part of being a teenager. Jemma wasn't so sure.

"Mum, how long till we get there?" she asked, sighing as she leaned her head against the cool window pane, wishing that her dad would drive just a little bit faster.

"Shouldn't be long now, we're nearly-", but Jemma never got to find out how long the journey was.

The car veered violently off to the right and smashed through a metal barrier, causing Jemma's dad to lose his grip on the steering wheel, the car swerving out of control. Jemma clung to the passenger seat in front of her, her nails digging into the fabric as the full force of her weight pressed against the car door. She squeezed her eyes shut as the car began to tumble down a steep slope, flinging her body from side to side. The slope seemed to be never-ending, and Jemma silently prayed that everything was going to be alright. She didn't believe it, but she clung onto the little bit of hope that there was. The car kept flipping over and over, but Jemma refused to open her eyes. She couldn't bear to see what was happening.

It was a while before the slope evened off, allowing the tumbling to finally come to an end at the foot of the hill, stopping just before a ghostly silent road. The windows were severely cracked, some of them smashed with the glass completely gone, letting the warmth of the car escape into the cool air outside. The temperature inside the car dropped rapidly, and Jemma could feel the rush of icy cold air move over her body, shivering as the air temperature continued to decrease. Throughout the ordeal, Jemma was not able to sense the pain that was being inflicted upon her by the plummet, but since the car had stopped, the pain had begun to blossom. It stabbed her again and again, a thousand sharp needles. She was almost certain that she was bleeding heavily, but from where she could not see. Her body was sprawled across the roof of the car, and opening her eyes, Jemma could just about make out that the door nearest to her had been flung open. She shifted onto her front and began to slowly edge herself out of the car.

The darkness was broken by a flickering streetlamp, highlighting the droplets of rain that had just begun to fall. It was just a drizzle at first, but it was not long before the rain grew heavier and heavier. Jemma crawled onto the road, the coolness of the air, and the cleansing of the rain numbing her senses. Lifting herself, she managed to stumble along; unaware of the pain it was causing her. Reaching a crossroad, she desperately searched the dark night for a sign that somewhere there was someone who could help.

The minutes ticked by, and soon enough they were no longer minutes, but hours. The rain continued to hammer down, but no longer numbed the pain as Jemma stood in the middle of the crossroad, feeling drained and desperate, and her whole body aching. The tears threatened to come, but she wouldn't allow it. She wanted to be stronger than that. Even if she knew she wasn't.

"Please. Please. Someone…help," Jemma cried out faintly.

And then she saw it. A figure in the shadows. She had not quite believed that someone would find her in time. Staggering towards it, her head spinning, Jemma cried out again.

"Please. Help me," her voice slightly stronger this time, as the figure became clearer. It started running towards her, but its face was obscured by the night. The little bit of hope resurfaced, and Jemma soon felt strong arms surround her body. Perhaps everything was going to be alright after all, she thought, raising her head to see who was holding her. Her eyes settled upon a young man who could not have been much older than she was, his hair a mass of curls, and his face not quite absent of the roundness of childhood. He looked down at her with a mixture of fear and concern, his eyes growing wider as she lost consciousness and collapsed.

* * *

"She's lost a lot of blood. I don't know how she managed to walk all that way."

"I agree. The extent of her injuries-"

"Doctor, I think she's waking up."

Jemma stirred, her eyes fluttering open slightly, a bright white light making them ache. A sharp scent of lemon and bleach hung in the air, and she wrinkled her nose at the smell. She sensed people bustle around her, muttering things she could not hear. Several pairs of hands helped lift her up and rest her against a soft pillow. Eyes opening fully, she saw where she was and who was there. Their faces were masked with sympathy as they stared at her, their eyes sorrowful, and that was when Jemma finally realised what had happened. She could not stop the tears, and this time, she didn't want to. And in that painful moment, Jemma promised to never forget the boy who helped her, and promised to never put anything before family ever again.

* * *

**Nine years later**

The sun shone unusually brightly for an early autumn morning, the sunlight peeking through the thin white curtains and spilling onto the wooden floorboards. Jemma sat on a bed beside the windowsill, gazing at a picture of a smiling family before placing it on a neatly folded pile of clothes. She picked the heap up and positioned it carefully in a suitcase, tearing her gaze away from the happy picture. It was the last time she would be in that house, the little one deep in the English countryside. Though she would miss it, Jemma was glad she was finally able to move on. The years of studying and hard work had paid off, but maybe not quite in the way she thought it would, Jemma thought as she remembered the moment when things started to change. When they had found her.

"_Miss Simmons?"_

_Jemma suddenly stopped in the middle of the alleyway, her heart pounding against her chest. Her breathing hitched as she felt them moving closer. Jemma knew she should never have gone down that route. It was a stupid thing to do, the most stupid thing you've ever done, she thought to herself, and now you're going to pay for it. She turned around slowly, ready to face whoever was there, and frowned when she saw two men, who would have looked completely ordinary if not for the dark suits and sunglasses. Did they not realise it was night time?_

"_Are you Jemma Simmons?" The taller of the two asked, his voice rough. After several quiet moments, she nodded._

"_I'm sorry, can I help you?" Her English accent a contrast to his American one._

"_People usually ask who we are first, but as a matter of fact, yes you can help us," the shorter man replied, a smile playing on his lips._

"_We hear you're the top of your class," the taller one said, to which Jemma did not answer. She did not like to be pretentious about those sorts of things, scarcely believing them herself. "And we need your help, if you'll agree to it."_

"_Don't worry," the smiling man reassured, seeing the sceptical look upon Jemma's face, "We work for a secret government agency in America, and we've discovered something that might interest you. Something that we need you to look at."_

"_But why me? I'm no one. I'm just a scientist, and there are plenty of others out there."_

"_But there's no scientist like you."_

Jemma placed the last piece of clothing into her suitcase and finally closed it.

"Here's to a new beginning."


	2. The Raid

**Thank you so much for the positive response to the first chapter! It honestly means so much to me :) I tried to write this as quickly as I could so that it wasn't weeks until I updated, and hopefully I should be updating each week if all goes to plan. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

Some say your first day at something totally new cannot possibly live up to your high expectations. In Jemma's case, it was more like the first week. She hated to admit it, but life at S.H.I.E.L.D. was not quite as refreshing as she had hoped it to be. Perhaps it was because of the countless times she got lost on the way to her station, or because she was completely alone in the temporary laboratory that they had set her up in, or maybe it was even because she was now referred to as 'Simmons' and not Jemma, something which was pretty much foreign to her. Jemma didn't know what, but there was something that didn't feel quite right about the whole situation. She was still curious as to why S.H.I.E.L.D. had asked her to help them. The short, smiling man, who she had since learned was called Agent Coulson, had not given her a sufficient explanation, and refused to do so. He just continued smiling every time she began to ask about it.

Within two days of joining S.H.I.E.L.D., Jemma had managed to annoy every agent who visited to check up on her with her scientific mumblings, blaming it largely on them for asking her what she was doing. How could they ask that and not expect a scientific explanation? But then, Jemma thought to herself when they abruptly left, these people aren't like the ones at university. They're not here to learn. They're here to fight. It was odd to think of it like that, seeing as Jemma wasn't particularly used to violence, but that's the way it was. She knew she couldn't hide behind books anymore, no matter how much she wanted to. This was the real world, and that was something Jemma needed to remind herself of.

Hoping to get the second week at her new job off to a better start, Jemma arrived at her designated station fresh faced and early, draining the last of her morning tea in order to stay awake as much as possible. She was met again by the lonely atmosphere of the lab, a modern and minimalist designed room with metallic furnished surfaces which made it seem cold and uninviting, particularly to those who did not appreciate the true purpose of the room. Thankfully for Jemma, she was not one of those people. She could not have been more excited about the state of the art equipment that lined the surfaces, all shiny and new and waiting to be used. If this was only the temporary lab, Jemma was intrigued to see what her real one looked like. She just wished there was someone else who appreciated it too.

The only friend Jemma had made was in Agent Coulson. Well, maybe friend wasn't quite the right word to use. He had definitely been the kindest and the friendliest of all the people she had met, not that she had really met many in her short time at S.H.I.E.L.D., and though she had this feeling he was hiding something, Jemma felt comfortable and more relaxed when he was there. However, when she saw him standing on the other side of the lab, partially hidden by the shadows and his face masked in seriousness, Jemma was far from relaxed.

"Agent Simmons, it's good to see how eager you are to start the day. I had hoped you would be here earlier than usual," Agent Coulson greeted, sounding less serious than he looked. "How are you finding your work at S.H.I.E.L.D. so far?

Jemma shifted uncomfortably before replying, "It's…interesting. I don't think I've quite got used to it yet."

"Unfortunately you're going to have to get used to it more quickly from now on."

Jemma frowned, "Sir?"

"We've been working on something for a while here at S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Something…secret?"

"Secret and important, yes. You may have heard of Chemitech?"

"If you mean the multibillion dollar company, then yes. Anyone who's interested in science has heard of them."

"Good. That'll make this a lot easier," Coulson stepped out of the shadows before continuing, "We've been observing their activities for some time now after we were anonymously notified that something was going on there. S.H.I.E.L.D. decided to investigate but until recently, have found nothing suspicious."

"And now?"

"Two weeks ago, our scientists recorded an energy surge from Chemitech's headquarters, only thirty miles from here. It was beyond any amount of energy we would normally expect to find.

"So you think they're developing some sort of chemical? That would explain the larger than usual energy output you recorded, especially if it's unstable."

"That's what our scientists have presumed. All we know is that they're brewing something dangerous over there, and this is where you come in."

"What do you want me to do, sir?" Jemma asked, her voice sounding much more confident than she felt.

"I'd like you to assist a team of agents on a raid of the company's headquarters. They require your skills to analyse the area, and bring back anything that might be suspicious."

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why me? Why not one of your other scientists?" Jemma enquired, attempting once again to discover why she had been recruited.

For the first time in the entire conversation, Agent Coulson smiled and replied, "You ask a lot of questions, Agent Simmons." He crossed the room to leave the lab, the smile slowly fading.

"When do we leave? I know it's another question but-"

"Tonight."

* * *

Jemma shuddered as there was a sudden rush of icy wind, adjusting her thick black coat to wrap even more tightly around her small frame. She trailed behind the team of agents that were leading her to the headquarters of the most famous and wealthy chemical company in the world, unsure of the task ahead of her. There were many things that could go wrong with the raid, including the possibility that whatever Chemitech were trying to hide could be extremely volatile. If that was the case, then there was no guarantee that Jemma could bring it back safely. The slightest change in conditions…well, she didn't even want to think about that.

It was a while before the agents halted in front of a dilapidated building, many of its windows smashed and numerous drawings on the walls. For an extremely successful company, it was the last thing Jemma expected.

"This is Chemitech's headquarters?" Jemma asked in disbelief, unimpressed by the shabby exterior.

"Agent Coulson was right," a tall female agent right in front of her said, "you do ask a lot of questions."

Jemma blushed, embarrassed that Coulson had been talking about her with other agents, people who she didn't even know. She didn't mean to ask so many questions, but she was a scientist. It came naturally to her to question everything.

"We have been instructed to be cautious when entering the premises, so I think it would be best if we split up into groups and try different entrances. That way we'll cover the area much more quickly," another agent uttered, the wind blowing his blonde hair all over the place. It looked so funny that Jemma had to stop herself from laughing and instead remind herself that there was a serious and dangerous task ahead of her.

The other agents nodded in agreement and began to separate into small groups before disappearing around the sides of the building. The only two who didn't move were the ones who had spoken. They stood perfectly still for several moments until the blonde agent turned towards Jemma, a grave look on his face, as if he understood what could happen to her.

"Once inside, find the main laboratory. There you'll find Agent Gray and Agent Cole. They have scanned the area to make sure it's clear. When you see them, they will give you further instructions. Do you understand, Agent Simmons?"

"Yes, sir."

Jemma took a deep breath before heading through the main entrance of the derelict building. The previous scent of damp quickly faded away, and was replaced by a familiar smell of bleach, but not just that. There was something else, another familiar scent, but she couldn't think of what it could be. Instead, she focused on how different the headquarters were on the inside. Where she would have expected to see crumbling stone walls, Jemma saw smooth white walls, bare of any marks. The entrance was connected to a long corridor, at the end of which was a door, only recognisable because of the two silver handles that stood out against the sea of white. The corridor was lit up by numerous industrial lights gently swinging from the ceiling, their intense brightness causing Jemma's eyes to ache slightly.

She began her way down the corridor, cautious of any security systems that she may not have been warned about. Thankfully, it appeared that S.H.I.E.L.D. had disabled any security measures that Chemitech may have implemented into their headquarters. Jemma reached out tentatively, her fingers wrapping around the oddly warm handle, and she gently pulled it towards her. The moment the door opened, Jemma felt unusually hot, a stream of sweltering air pouring out the door. Agent Coulson had been right, she thought. Chemitech were definitely up to something. No wonder the scientists had recorded a major energy surge. Whatever they were producing, it was releasing a hell of a lot of heat energy.

Closing the door behind her, Jemma felt the full force of the heat radiating around her. She knew that the intensity of heat in the air could cause problems if she continued down the next corridor, but she also knew how much S.H.I.E.L.D. were relying on her. Each step she took echoed loudly, and with each step came even more intensifying heat, if that was even possible. She took off her thick coat, but that barely made a difference. The corridor stretched further than the other one, and at the end of it, Jemma could just about see that it split off into two separate hallways. The only problem was she had no idea which one led to the laboratory, and it didn't help that they were identical in every way.

It was an unexpected shout that made up Jemma's mind. Rushing down the left hallway, she discovered another door at the end of it. This time the handle was almost burning as she grasped it and pulled the door open. At first, Jemma could not see anything unusual and it was not until she stepped on something firm that she looked down. The two agents who were supposed to be guarding the area were sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. Jemma immediately fell beside them, relieved to see the slight but steady rise and fall of their chests, as if they were merely sleeping. The apparent danger dawned on her and suddenly scared, Jemma lifted herself up, only to come face to face with the barrel of a gun.


End file.
